


Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

by SleeplessInGeneral



Series: Auguries of Innocence [1]
Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Gen, Multi, a little ooc, and a baby OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 16:04:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9449381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleeplessInGeneral/pseuds/SleeplessInGeneral
Summary: Max Michael Lightwood-Bane is no ordinary child. While children his age don't really read yet, he could only fall asleep to the works of poets like John Keats and William Blake. Works that he, of course, had read already. He was thinking up and asking existential questions that not even his papa could think of (with his few centuries of being alive), and those confuse all who are around him. He is also blue, but that's the least of his worries. He was born this way.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I have posted this story before. On FF.net (like with Excited and Scared). I am posting it here because I want to post it here. Also because there is some correcting I need to do (to the whole series) and I'd rather do it here.
> 
> This story was inspired, for the most part, by Born to Endless Night - the ninth story in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy - and I am personally very proud of myself for that story. It actually started as gag bit I tried out on my friend. This is something I've done a lot in the series, not just this story, and I hope it's okay. I really do.
> 
> Also, I'll explain the family tree later on. When it's more important. So, on that note...

"I'm starting to think your uncle Simon suggested we send you to a kindergarten as a joke."

"You don't say, Magnus."

"Oh, come on, Alec, wouldn't it be nice for Max to be around kids his age?"

"You said the same thing about Rafael. His only friend is this Aiko Gonzales, and we're not sure what he is. Could be a demon for all we know."

"He's a warlock. We had this conversation before, Alec. Gonzales is a warlock."

"Yeah, I know. But -"

"But isn't it nice that he has a friend his own age? Is that what you were going to say?"

Max was silently digging a hole in his mac and cheese while his dads were fighting. He didn't like it when they were fighting, but he understood it wasn't about him (well, it was, but not in a way most parents were fighting over their children) and he knew that most kids his age, when faced with their parents fighting, wouldn't. After deciding he had finally lost all appetite, he started flicking his fingers, causing things like glitter and smoke come out. Once or twice he had a petal come out.

"Magnus, can we please not fight about the matter during dinner? We've been through this enough-"

"Daddy, look, I made a lily!" He held up the small flower to Alec's eyes. "You see? Papa taught me."

"That's lovely, Blueberry." Max looked proud as Alec ruffled his blue hair. "But I remember telling your papa to not teach you magic at this age."

"It's harmless!"

"You're over four hundred years old and yet I still feel like the adult here. Explain that to me, Magnus Bane."

"Papa, I made a lily." Max turned to Magnus, who took the flower and made a whole show with it.

For his age, Max Michael Lightwood-Bane was a strange kid. And not because he was a warlock, with blue hair and skin that made him attract attention from mundanes when he wasn't glamoured. Max was not a typical five-year old in the means that he was only falling asleep to the words of poets like John Keats and William Blake, he was thinking up and asking existential questions that not even his papa could think of (with his few centuries of being alive) and he wasn't as hyperactive as boys his age were. He was hyperactive, but in mind. Other than that, and various other things about him, he was pretty much a normal kid. Alec and Magnus had had their battles over his upbringing, as well as other matters, but all in all, they were very proud parents.

"You need to say something," he suddenly said. "Is my new little brother not coming home with us next week? Is he?"

The Shadowhunter and the warlock exchanged looks. "No, we don't have anything important to say," Magnus said, frowning. "Why do you think we do?"

"Because you bicker like an old married couple." Aunt Izzy taught him this one. He heard his parents laughing and returned to playing with magic.

* * *

Every Lightwood, Herondale, Fairchild, Lovelace and some of the Blackthorns and Carstairs were there earlier to see new baby Ivy. Max didn't like it when there were lots of people. Everyone got to hold his new baby brother before him, even Rafe - who wasn't even home and was at a sleepover with Aiko - and that was a bad thing in his book. He actually tried to hit Julian and screamed "this is my brother, not yours" when Julian was on the sofa with Emma and Aunt Clary, who held Ivy. But no one paid him any attention. He silently decided that he hates baby showers. And he didn't want to go to them again. The only one he was at before this one was to his cousin Nate's last year, but he didn't remember it. And he thinks he was at Tobias and Ella's, but that was even before Nate's, so he isn't sure.

After everyone left Ivy was still awake, so Alec brought him to Max. The little boy tried to move as little as possible when he was handed the baby, and he did that cradling thing Clary and Izzy did. "Am I holding okay?"

"You're holding great," Alec told him. "Support his head. Just move your hand a litt- no, the other hand. Move it a little… Yeah, like that." Ivy raised a hand and pulled on Max's hair.

"And he's really going to be my brother?"

"Definitely."

When Ivy fell asleep, Max went to prepare to sleep – and since he showered this morning Dad let him not shower at night. So he brushed his teeth and went to his room. And it took a long time before his dads came to tuck him in. So he read a book. After going through all of the Julia Donaldson books Uncle Simon gave him, he started them all over again. And again. Until both his dads came to say goodnight. First Magnus, who had something to attend to – and besides, it was Alec's turn tonight. And then Alec came.

Max saw his dad take the huge book that was a collection of William Blake's poetry. Who lived a very long time ago. Like, really, when his Aunt Tessa and Uncle Jem were still as young as Alec. Or, well, around then. Alec opened the book and asked "so where were we?" Max simply pointed out the page of "Auguries of Innocence". And Alec just passed through the many, many pages.

Max started dousing off at the lines "Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night." So Alec closed the book and left.

"What was I born to?"

The Shadowhunter turned on his heels to face the sleepy child. "Isn't that clear? Sweet delight, of course."

"Oh. Okay. Good night."

And Max fell asleep. Until three a.m., that is, when he woke up to ask Magnus the exact lyrics to Auguries of Innocence for the fifteenth time this week.

* * *

To see a World in a Grain of Sand  
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower  
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand  
And Eternity in an hour

Every Night and every Morn  
Some to Misery are Born  
Every Morn and every Night  
Some are Born to sweet delight  
Some are Born to sweet delight  
Some are Born to Endless Night

\- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> Ivy is the first of many OCs I have created for this fandom, and he is going to stay. Definitely. And while he does not really have his own story yet, I'm working on it!


End file.
